1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for playback control in an audio playback device, such as a DVD-Audio playback device for playing back a DVD-Audio disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
Providers of DVD-Audio disks to be played back by a DVD-Audio playback device can include in the DVD-Audio disk data on a still picture to be displayed together with playback of an audio track and data on visual menus for receiving various operations from a user regarding the playback of the audio track, as well as data recorded on the tracks.
On the other hand, the DVD-Audio specification allows the DVD-Audio playback device to serve as a video capable audio player (VCAP) for displaying still pictures and visual menus, or as an audio only player (AOP) or a simple audio player (SOP) for only playing back audio tracks without displaying the visual menus mentioned above and the like.
Generally, most of the DVD-Audio playback devices serving as the VCAP can also be configured to serve as the AOP in accordance with a selection by the user or the like. As one of the DVD-Audio playback devices capable of acting as both the VCAP and AOP, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-22023 discloses a DVD-Audio playback device which serves as the VCAP when a display device is usable, and as the AOP when the display device is not usable.
In order to play back the DVD-Audio disk in accordance with the provider's intent of the DVD-Audio disk, when acting as the VCAP, most of the DVD-Audio playback devices are likely to be configured not to perform the playback operation which may define a playback sequence autonomously, and which may lead to disregarding the visual menus or the like prepared by the provider of the DVD-Audio disk, for example, automatic sequential playback, automatic random playback, or repeated playback of data recorded on all tracks of the DVD-Audio disk.
In contrast, when the DVD-Audio playback device acts as the AOP, which assumes a playback operation disregarding the visual menus, the playback operation in the sequence that is autonomously defined by the DVD-Audio playback device is not against the provider's intent. More specifically, the playback operations include the automatic sequential playback, automatic random playback, and repeated playback of the data recorded on all the tracks of the DVD-Audio disk. Thus, most of the DVD audio playback devices serving as the AOP are also designed to perform such automatic sequential playback, automatic random playback, and/or repeated playback in accordance with the operation by the user or the like.
Even in the DVD-Audio playback device serving as the VCAP, when the DVD-Audio disk of interest for playback does not include data on still pictures and visual menus, a still picture or visual menu cannot be displayed. In addition, since the playback device acts as the VCAP, it does not perform the automatic sequential playback, the automatic random playback, or the repeated playback of the data on all tracks of the DVD-Audio disk. Therefore, when playing back a DVD-Audio disk not including data on still pictures and visual menus, the DVD-Audio playback device serving as the AOP would be more convenient for the user.
In the above-mentioned case, the user had to perform a complicated operation in the prior art involving switching settings so as to cause the DVD-Audio playback device to serve as the AOP.